From Parisian Pastis to a global spirits group
Pernod Ricard was formed in 1975 from the merger of two traditional French companies: Pernod, whose history dates back to 1805, when Henri-Louis Pernod founded the absinthe distillery Maison Pernod Fils in Pontarlier, and Ricard, which Paul Ricard built in Marseille in 1932 and quickly made France's most popular long drink with his pastis recipe. From this connection of two strong aniseed brands, one of the world's largest spirits and wine groups grew, decade by decade. The development of the portfolio followed a clear principle: to grow through targeted acquisitions of established brands with their own character, rather than producing generic mass-market goods. Over the years, brands such as Havana Club, The Glenlivet, Chivas Regal, Absolut Vodka, Jameson, Martell, and Ballantine's joined the group. The German sales company, Pernod Ricard Deutschland GmbH based in Cologne, was founded in 1989 and has since bundled the entire brand portfolio for the German market.
Conviviality as an attitude — and responsibility as a framework
Pernod Ricard describes itself as «Créateurs de Convivialité» — creators of conviviality. There is more to this than just a slogan: The group was a founding member of the European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD) in 1990 and signed the United Nations Global Compact in 2003. Under the «Good Times from a Good Place» program, which was launched in 2019 and has been further developed since then, the group is pursuing goals along the entire value chain by 2030 — from the management of raw material terroirs and circular economy in production to responsible marketing. This includes projects for regenerative agriculture in their own vineyards as well as measures to reduce Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. In Germany, Pernod Ricard Deutschland contributes to this strategy with around 225 employees at the Cologne site and works actively with retail partners.
A range that connects styles and cultures
What distinguishes Pernod Ricard Deutschland on the shelf from a classic importer is the breadth and simultaneous depth of the portfolio: Absolut Vodka — produced in southern Sweden from winter wheat and spring water since 1879 — stands alongside the blended Scotch Ballantine's Finest and the Bordeaux aperitif Lillet, which is available in Blanc and Rosé and is composed of wine and fruit liqueurs in the Médoc region. With Malfy Gin, three clearly profiled Italian gins are added: con Limone with Sicilian lemons, con Arancia with blood orange, and con Amarena with southern Italian sour cherry — all characterized by Mediterranean fruit and a clearly distilled juniper structure. They are joined by classics such as Chivas Regal, Havana Club, Ramazzotti, and the champagne brands Mumm and Perrier-Jouët. Whether it's an aperitif on a Friday evening, a classic highball, or a concentrated digestif: the Cologne portfolio covers almost every drinking occasion with a brand that brings its own artisanal origin.
